Production of liquid fuel or electric power from synthesis gas in an integrated platform

Abstract

System(s) and process(es) are provided to produce synthesis gas (syngas) from carbonaceous feedstock and synthesize the syngas into liquid fuel and related byproduct substances. Dissipated heat and byproduct substances are utilized to supply energy to the system(s) and process(es). Utilization of dissipated heat and the byproduct substances as energy sources allows the system(s) and process(es) to be implemented without input from external energy sources. Byproduct substances also are recycled for reconversion to syngas. Syngas is produced in a gasification platform through a multi-phased gasification process comprising pyrolysis of the carbonaceous feedstock, steam reformation (or reaction) of pyrolysis gas, and cleaning of syngas ejected from such steam reformation. The syngas is catalytically converted into a product comprising the liquid fuel and the byproduct substances. Separation of the product enables supply of the liquid fuel and the byproduct substances for enabling, in part, operation of the system(s) and implementation of the process(es).

1 . A process, comprising:
 producing a first volume of synthesis gas (syngas) in a gasification platform by gasifying feedstock material;   cleaning at least a first portion of the first volume of syngas;   supplying at least a second portion of a second volume of syngas resulting from the cleaning;   producing an amount of liquid fuel and an amount of at least one byproduct substance in a liquidification platform by catalytically converting at least the second portion of the second volume of syngas; and   supplying a portion of the amount of the at least one byproduct substance for enabling, at least in part, operation of the gasification platform.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein producing the first volume of syngas in the gasification platform by gasifying the feedstock material comprises:
 injecting the feedstock material in a gasification chamber; and   gasifying the feedstock material in the gasification chamber, wherein the gasifying includes indirectly heating the gasification chamber to a first temperature and pyrolyzing the feedstock material at substantially the first temperature, wherein the first temperature is in a range from less than 600° F. to greater than 1750° F.   
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein producing the first volume of syngas in the gasification platform by gasifying the feedstock material further comprises:
 reacting with steam an amount of the first volume of syngas.   
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the injecting includes injecting the feedstock material with a moisture content ranging from about 20% to about 50%. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 blending at least a third portion of a third volume of syngas resulting from the cleaning with the portion of the amount of the at least one byproduct substance, the at least one byproduct substance being a gas phase hydrocarbon; and   utilizing an amount of gas resulting from the blending for heating the gasification chamber.   
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 blending at least a third portion of a third volume of syngas resulting from the cleaning with the portion of the amount of the at least one byproduct substance, the at least one byproduct substance being a gas phase hydrocarbon; and   utilizing an amount of gas resulting from the blending for generating steam for electrical production.   
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 blending at least a third portion of a third volume of syngas resulting from the cleaning with the portion of the amount of the at least one byproduct substance, the at least one byproduct substance being a gas phase hydrocarbon; and   utilizing an amount of gas resulting from the blending for electrical production.   
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 consuming at least the first portion of the first volume of syngas for heating the gasification chamber.   
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the injecting includes:
 measuring moisture content of the feedstock material; and   when the measuring indicates the moisture content is outside a range from about 20% to about 50%, blending the feedstock material with the portion of the amount of the at least one byproduct substance, the at least one byproduct substance being a gas phase hydrocarbon; wherein
 the blending is performed until the feedstock material resulting from the blending has a moisture content within the range from about 20% to about 50%. 
   
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein producing the first volume of syngas in the gasification platform by gasifying the feedstock material comprises:
 producing the first volume of syngas with a molar ratio of H 2 -to-CO in a range from about 1.5-to-1 to about 2.5-to-1.   
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein producing the amount of liquid fuel and the amount of the at least one byproduct substance in the liquidification platform by catalytically converting at least the second portion of the second volume of syngas comprises:
 preparing a first amount of syngas comprising at least the second portion of the second volume of syngas and a volume of syngas contained in the at least one byproduct substance;   catalytically converting the first amount of syngas into an amount of a hydrocarbon product comprising at least three substances; and   separating the amount of the hydrocarbon product into at least the amount of liquid fuel and the amount of the at least one byproduct substance.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the preparing includes:
 removing an amount of impurities from at least the second portion of the second volume of syngas;   compressing a second amount of syngas resulting from the removing;   blending the second amount of syngas with the volume of syngas contained in the amount of the at least one byproduct substance; and   compressing a third amount of syngas resulting from the blending.   
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 assessing at least one operation condition of at least one of the gasification platform or the liquidification platform;   based at least on the at least one operation condition, adjusting production of the amount of the at least one byproduct substance in the liquidification platform; and   adjusting consumption of the amount of the at least one byproduct substance in the gasification platform.   
     
     
         14 . A system, comprising:
 a gasification platform that produces synthesis gas (syngas) through non-combustive gasification of feedstock material;   a liquidification platform that collects a first portion of the synthesis gas and catalytically converts the first portion of the synthesis gas into liquid fuel and at least one byproduct substance, wherein the at least one byproduct substance comprises a solid-phase hydrocarbon, a gas-phase hydrocarbon, and a liquid-phase hydrocarbon; and   a set of feedback circuits that supplies at least a portion of the at least one byproduct substance to the gasification platform.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the gasification platform comprises:
 a gasification unit comprising a gasification chamber that gasifies at least a portion of the feedstock material into at least a second portion of the syngas;   a steam reformation unit in which at least the second portion of the syngas is reacted with steam yielding an amount of saturated syngas; and   a gas cleaning unit that removes particulate matter from the amount of the saturated syngas and yields clean syngas.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the gasification unit includes a feedstock supply unit that enables regulation of at least one of moisture content of the feedstock material or oxygen content of the feedstock material, and injects at least the portion of the feedstock material. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the liquidification platform comprises:
 a gas conditioning unit that collects an amount of the clean syngas and enables compression of a mixture of the amount of the clean syngas and an amount of unreacted syngas;   a fuel synthesis unit that catalytically converts at least a portion of the mixture yielding an amount of a hydrocarbon product; and   a product separation unit that processes the amount of the hydrocarbon product and yields an amount of the liquid fuel and an amount of the at least one byproduct substance.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the amount of the at least one byproduct substance comprises an amount of the solid-phase hydrocarbon and an amount of the gas-phase hydrocarbon, and an amount of the liquid-phase hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the set of feedback circuits includes at least one feedback circuit that supplies at least a portion of the amount of the solid-phase hydrocarbon to the feedstock supply unit for adjusting moisture content of the feedstock material. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the set of feedback circuits includes:
 a first feedback circuit that supplies at least a portion of the amount of the gas-phase hydrocarbon to the gasification unit for fueling a heat source of the gasification chamber; and   a second feedback circuit that supplies at least a portion of the amount of the gas-phase hydrocarbon to the gasification unit for reaction with steam in the steam reformation unit.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the set of feedback circuits includes at least one feedback circuit that supplies at least a portion of the amount of the gas-phase hydrocarbon to a set of power generators for producing electricity. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the set of feedback circuits includes at least one feedback circuit that supplies at least a portion of the amount of the gas-phase hydrocarbon to the gasification unit for reaction with steam in the steam reformation unit. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the set of feedback circuits includes at least one feedback circuit that supplies at least a portion of the amount of the liquid-phase hydrocarbon to the steam reformation unit for producing steam. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 an assessment platform comprising a set of sensors that collect data related to at least one operational condition of the system, wherein the set of sensors include a first group of sensors distributed in the gasification platform and a second group of sensors distributed in the liquidification platform.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein based at least on a portion of the data, the assessment platform analyzes at least one of at least one physical property or at least one chemical property of the syngas. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the feedstock supply unit enables air removal from at least the portion of the feedstock material. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the steam reformation unit supplies a volume of steam to the gasification chamber, wherein the volume of the steam is based at least on moisture content of at least the portion of feedstock material. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the feedstock supply unit enables injection of water into the feedstock material, wherein the injection of the water produces a specific water-to-solid ratio in the range from about 1 to about 1.5. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the second portion of the syngas is supplied to the steam reformation unit at a gas pressure of at least about 25 psi. 
     
     
         30 . A system, comprising:
 means for producing in a gasification platform a first amount of synthesis gas (syngas);   means for cleaning at least a first portion of the first amount of syngas;   means for supplying at least a second portion of a second amount of syngas resulting from the cleaning;   means for converting in a liquidification platform at least the second portion of the second amount of syngas into an amount of liquid fuel and an amount of at least one byproduct substance, wherein the amount of the at least one byproduct substance comprises a first amount of a solid-phase hydrocarbon, a second amount of a gas-phase hydrocarbon, and a third amount of a liquid-phase hydrocarbon; and   means for supplying a portion of the amount of the at least one byproduct substance for enabling operation of at least one of the gasification platform or the liquidification platform.